We all know the Disney movie and how it turns out... But what if it were totally different? What if Mulan had to travel through the underworld?
In Reflection, the opening scene takes place in the Pass during the battle with the Huns. Mulan quickly thinks to shoot a firework at a cliff, thus breaking it and causing an avalanche. This much stays true to the Disney version. It's the subsequent events that show the complete diversion from the tale we are most familiar with.
Shan Yu tries to attack Mulan with his sword for causing the avalanche and the loss of his army, but Li Shang jumps in and takes the hit. It is soon obvious that Shang is dying, but Mulan - still in disguise as Ping - refuses to leave him behind. She takes care of him as their army marches toward the Emperor to celebrate their victory over the Huns. Until, that is, Mulan is sent on a journey to Diyu.
Diyu is the Underworld, ruled over by King Yama. It is he who ultimately decides whether or not you remain in Hell, ascend to Heaven, or are reincarnated after having all your memories of your previous life eradicated. When Mulan arrives in Diyu with Shang's family guardian, ShiShi, they are challenged by the King. They can rescue Shang and bring him back to life under one condition... They must travel through the multiple levels of the underworld to reach Shang & get back to the main level in order to escape before sun up. Otherwise, Mulan will be imprisoned by Yama for all of eternity. Mulan and ShiShi encounter many obstacles; most in the form of demons. Some have been dispatched by Yama, some are the demons they hold within. It is up to Mulan to determine who she is and who she wants to be in order to prove herself.
Can she do it? Will she rescue Shang from the depths of the underworld before sun up? Does the truth about Mulan pretending to be Ping come out?
I read the first few books in the Twisted Tales series. Most of them were hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this one. Mulan is such a strong lead character that it is easy to slip into the story with her. I feel it's important to have characters like her because they show that it is important to be true to yourself. It was also great to see the author include other supporting characters we already know and love from the movie into the book, even if they still weren't major roles. Another thing that I loved was the fact Lim incorporated the iconic quote from the movie (pictured below*) that has always seemed to resonate with so many people. Though the way we come across it in the book is completely unexpected, as is the reasoning for the location.
*Picture taken from Google images, so unsure of who to credit.
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